Device for spreading of the knitting on flat-bed knitting machines

ABSTRACT

A device for maintaining knitted material stretched during its movement in a knitting machine from the knitting operation to a material removal roll, the device comprising guide bars around which the material selvages are knit, the guide bars extending from above the knitting needles to the material removal roll and being adjustable by means of adjusting screws to swing in the plane of the knitted material to provide control and adjustment of their stretching effect on the material.

United States Patent [191 Krause DEVICE IfOR SPREADING OF THE KNITTING ON FLAT-BED KNITTING MACHINES [75] Inventor: Erich Krause, Bopfingen, Germany [73] Assignee: Universal Machinenfabrik Dr.

Rudolf Schieber KG, Westhausen, Postfach, Germany 22 Filed: June 1, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 258,766

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 7, 19711 Germany P 21 28 262.2

[52] US. Cl. 66/147, 66/149, 139/291 R, 26/54 [51] Int. Cl. D04b 35/00, D04b 15/88 [58] Field of Search 66/147, 149, 150; 139/195, 291 R, 291 C; 26/54, 55

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,633,387 1/1972 Worner 66/149 R Dec. 18, 1973 1,022,233 4/1912 Goebel 66/150 2,735,451 2/1956 Christiansen et al. 139/291 R 3,237,655 3/1966 Felder et al 199/291 C FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 487,312 6/1938 Great Britain 66/149 R 973,610 10/1964 Great Britain.... 139/195 28,164 4/1907 Austria 139/291 C Primary Examiner-James Kee Chi Attorney-Joseph M. Fitzpatrick et a1.

[5 7 ABSTRACT A device for maintaining knitted material stretched during its movement in a knitting machine from the knitting operation to a material removal roll, the device comprising guide bars around which the material selvages are knit, the guide bars extending from above the knitting needles to the material removal roll and being adjustable by means of adjusting screws to swing in the plane of the knitted material to provide control and adjustment of their stretching effect on the material.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures DEVICE FOR SPREADING OF THE KNITTING ON FLAT-BED KNITTING MACHINES This invention concerns a device for spreading of the knitting on flat-bed knitting machines. The surpose of knitting machine spreaders for knitted goods is to insure that the selvages of the knitted material which, due to the tension prevailing in the knit are pulled inward, run as much as possible parallel to each other from the needle row to the material removal roller of the material take-off device. Thereby, a regular parallel course of the knittedrows may be attained and the upward pulling of the selvages may be eliminated.

Known spreaders are constituted by guide bars the free ends of which are knitted around in order to pre vent the knitting from pulling inwardly. The guide bars are comparatively short and they cannot prevent the knitting from pulling inwardly even prior to being taken up on the material removal roller on which it is spread. Moreover, the bottom ends of the guide bars become somewhat bent due to the pull prevailing in the knitting. Inasmuch as the pull of the goods differs in accordance with the nature of the knitting, a given inclined position of the guide bar cannot be determined in advance. Therefore, in some cases the guide bars were surrounded by a body open on one side to which body were fixed supporting rollers. Thereby, the knitting travels between the body and the guide bar. However, devices of this kind are complicated, expensive and hard to service.

It is the purpose of the present invention to remedy these disadvantages of the known knitted goods spreading devices. This is obtained, according to the present invention, in that the guide bars are caused to pivot, at their upper end, in the plane of the knitting, and they can be locked in each pivoting position. The pivoting guide bars extend as far as the material removal roller, and preferably as far as the middle of such roller. At their free ends, the guide bars may be provided with a bevelling.

The pivotable guide bars are suitably fastened in a manner whereby the guide bar pivots on a supporting arm or bracket and the supporting arm can be displaced on the knitting machine thread-guide rail, for example, by means of a lockable wedge-shaped part that is secured by menas of a screw.

Having thus described the invention with particular reference to the preferred form thereof, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains, after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by th e claims appended thereto.

One embodiment of the invention has been chosen for the purpose of illustration and description, and is shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification wherein:

FIG. 1 is a cross sectionitaken in elevation, through a flat-bed knitting machinein which one embodiment of the present inventionis" illustrated;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a spreader device and supporting arm therefore used in the knitting machine of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the supporting arm in cooperation with the knitting as it passes to a material removal roller.

In FIG. 1 there is shown a cross section through a flat-bed knitting machine with needle beds 13 and 14, a carriage l5 and earns 16 and 17.

A mounting 9 of a knitted goods spreader is fastened to a thread-guide rail 10 of the knitting machine, and this mounting can be displaced along the rail 10. To obtain this adjustment, a screw 11, which normally presses the wedge-shaped part 12 against the rail 10, is loosened.

A guide bar 1 of the spreader is mounted to pivot in a supporting arm 2 around a pin 18 (FIG. 2); and the guide bar 1 can be placed in various inclined positions (as indicated in dashed outline in FIG. 2) by means of an adjusting screw 3 and locked in position. After the desired inclined position of the guide bar 1 has been attained, the adjusting screw 3 is checked by a locking nut 4. The guide bar 1 is knit-around during knitting as indicated at 8 in FIG. 3. Its bottom end is bevelled, as indicated at S, and it extends by means of this bevelling as far as the center of the material removal roller 6. This permits the end of the guide bar 1 to lie tangen-. tially of the material removal roller and thus the knitting 7 is prevented from becoming caught in the guide bar with its selvage stitches.

The length of the supporting arm 2 is dimensioned in such a manner as to leave sufficient disconnecting space for several thread guides, not shown, between the guide bar 1 and the mounting 9.

In operation, the knitting machine produces the knitting 7 illustrated in FIG. 3. Simultaneously, the selvages of this knitting are knit around the guide bar 1 so that the guide bar extends through the edge of the knitting and prevents shrinkage of the goods along the length of the material removal roller 6. As the material moves downwardly and onto the material removal roller 6, it passes off the bevelled end of the guide bar 1.

It will be appreciated that the positioning of the inclination of the guide bar I may be simply and easily set be means of the screw 3 so that a very precise amount of tension can be established for each knitting opera tion.

Having thus described the invention with particular reference to the preferred forms thereof, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains, after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended thereto.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is: t

l. A knitted material spreading device for the knitting of flat-bed knitting machines wherein the material is knitted around guide bars, said device comprising mounting means for the guide bars, said mounting means including pivots interconnecting the upper end of the guide bars with the machine in a position allowing the guide bars to pivot in the plane of the knitting, and adjustable means near said pivots for locking the guide bars in each pivoting position.

2. A device according toclaim I wherein said knitting machine includes a material removal roller and wherein said guide bars extend to said roller.

3. A device according to claim Z wherein said guide bars extend sufficiently far to lie tangentially of said roller. t

4. A device according to claim 1. wherein said guide bars are bevelled at their free end.

4 of a wedge-shaped part held together with said mounting means on said thread-guide rail by means of a screw. 

1. A knitted material spreading device for the knitting of flatbed knitting machines wherein the material is knitted around guide bars, said device comprising mounting means for the guide bars, said mounting means including pivots interconnecting the upper end of the guide bars with the machine in a position allowing the guide bars to pivot in the plane of the knitting, and adjustable means near said pivots for locking the guide bars in each pivoting position.
 2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said knitting machine includes a material removal roller and wherein said guide bars extend to said roller.
 3. A device according to claim 2 wherein said guide bars extend sufficiently far to lie tangentially of said roller.
 4. A device according to claim 1 wherein said guide bars are bevelled at their free end.
 5. A device according to claim 1 wherein said mounting means is fastened displaceably on a thread-guide rail of the knitting machine.
 6. A device according to claiM 5 wherein said mounting means is fastened to said thread-guide rail by means of a wedge-shaped part held together with said mounting means on said thread-guide rail by means of a screw. 